What He was Missing
by Winds of Autumn
Summary: What if, instead of Logan stabbing Phoenix, Rogue had used her mutation to take half of Phoenix from Jean?


AN: My first X-Men fic, so be gentle. It was just a little plot bunny somewhat borrowed and modified. Hope you enjoy.

Since the moment she had seen in him that bar in Laughlin City, some part of her had known. It had been instinctive, burried beneath the insecurities of a young girl that she no longer recognized. Three years had gone by since that day, and as she stood in line to take the Cure, Marie wondered why she was doing it.

Was she doing it for Bobby? No. She had seen him with Kitty. They would do good together.

Was she doing it for Logan?

That stumped her. Was she taking the cure to touch a man that saw her as a seventeen year old child that needed protection? She was. And then Xavier was in her head, warning her about the attack and Logan's plans to take Phoenix down himself.

She couldn't let him do it. Every instinct in her body demanded that she go to him, try to save the fool man from himself. She turned, giving up her place in line, racing down the street. If only she still had some of his healing abilities. Spotting a motorcycle parked on the side of the road, she made a beeline for it, straddling it and twisting the key that had been left in the ignition. Holding the clutch, she made sure it was in first before taking off.

Logan.

He was going to do something stupid, that he would regret for the rest of his life. She couldn't let him do it. She was a selfish person, but she couldn't let him do it. Not when she would have to see him, knowing he'd done it for her, for Jean, and it had killed him.

The fight was well advanced when she arrived, carnage here and there from the Brotherhood, a few of the mutants on their side fallen here and there as well. She numbed herself, approaching Phoenix. She could see her, a vision of pale skin, dark eyes, wild red hair and power. No wonder Logan was addicted. She was beautiful, and she had been touchable, not a young girl but a woman. Marie shrugged out of her jacket, letting it fall to the dirt and peeling her gloves off. Phoenix was power incarnate, so she would need a lot of skin to do this. Chucking her shirt over her shoulder, Marie's fingers went to her pants.

She hesitated, then left them on. Her torso and bare arms should be enough. While Phoenix was concentrating on Wolverine, his features screwed up by Logan's feelings for her, Marie moved up behind her. Wolverine's gaze went wild, cluing Phoenix in on what she was doing. Before Phoenix could retaliate, Marie was on her, arms wrapped around her tightly, pressing every inch of skin she could against the woman. She could feel it, the pull. Phoenix's anger as she was divided, her great power dividing between the two women.

Marie let go when Phoenix was nearly dead, staggering back and falling, seeing Jean's eyes coming back with a smile of gratitude as Logan caught the red head. Pain. She closed her eyes. She had known he would chose her.

~*~*~*~*

Logan watched as Marie, his little tag-along for three years, crept up behind Phoenix and jumped on her, pulling the enigma from Jean. Marie's eyes connected with his for a second before he was catching Jean, lowering her to the ground and holding her in his arms. "Jean, Jean, can you hear me?" he demanded, smacking her cheek lightly.

"ROGUE!" He lifted his head, watching Ice Bucket make a dash for her. He snarled, laying Jean flat since she was breathing and moving to check on Marie. He had made her a promise, and he'd let her pull that stunt. Damn girl. Stupid kid. He snarled at Ice Bucket, carefully aranging Marie in his lap so her skin wasn't touching him directly.

"Get Jean back to the jet," he snapped at Bobby, not liking the look the cheating brat was giving Marie. Just because she was half clothed was no damn reason to oogle her. "NOW!" he roared, satisfied when the Ice Block jumped and rushed to do as he said. He looked back down at Marie, smoothing her hair back from her face. She was so pale, almost lifeless. He lifted her in his arms, feeling the pull as he knelt and snagged her jacket to wrap around her before high tailing it to the jet. With Jean and Marie settled, Logan took the controls to get them back to the Mansion.

~*~*~*~*

Jean woke first, to the surprise of Hank and Logan. She seemed all right, though very subdued from the loss of control and what she had let Phoenix do to Scott. Even though Jean had come to him in the night begging him to make the memories go away, Logan hadn't left Marie's side except to eat and use the bathroom and shower.

Until one night when he returned to see Marie's bed empty, he hadn't realized what he had done. He'd passed fucking Jean Grey, the object of his obsessions for so long he couldn't remember an exact date, to stay by the side of the girl-- no, he corrected himself-- the woman that had saved them all without killing Jean. He loved her, and she was gone.

With a roar of pain, Logan ripped through the entire Mansion, searching for her. She needed him, damn it. He could feel it. Her lonlieness, her pain and confusion. Claws ripped through the tender skin between his knuckles, barely registering in his frenzy.

"Logan!" the sharp word rang in his head, and he turned. Jean stood, green eyes blazing and her hands on her hips. "You're scaring the children."

"I don't give a damn about them! Where the hell is Marie!" he demanded, his eyes feral.

Jean took a step back, startled. He'd never spoken to her like this. Sure, he'd had his moments when he'd been angry, but this went beyond. "I haven't seen her."

He growled, turning his back and heading to the garage. Had she left?

~*~*~*~*~*

Marie had woken alone, the voices in her head raging at her, screaming and begging. Phoenix had been silent, except for the bitter denial of Marie's hope that Logan would be there. Even before she'd opened her eyes, she and Phoenix had both known. Jean had known. Hell, Magneto had known. And they had urged her to find him and tear him a new one. But Marie had surfaced, and she had ran. She'd stopped by her room, fishing out all the money she had saved, and throwing a few clothes in a duffle bag before heading to the garage.

But once she had managed to hotwire Jean's Mustang, she had sat in the front seat, staring at the lights on the garage door. She'd sacrificed for him. Could she leave? Logan's personality surfaced, urging her to run. She hit the button to open the garage door as light spilled in from the door. Her head jerked to the side, eyes widening slightly as she saw him.

Not Logan, but Wolverine. Claws at the ready, a completely animalistic look that Phoenix raised to answer, Marie overpowering her in desire for him. Phoenix was attracted to the power. Marie was attracted to the man. All of him. Slowly, she got out of the car to face him, completely unprepared for his reaction.

~*~*~*~*~*

Stupid woman. Trying to run from him. What the hell was she thinking? He would have found her anywhere she went, it would have been a matter of time. He moved forward, slamming her against the side of Jean's car, denting a fender and pulling a cry from Marie as his mouth found hers. Dominated. Took everything. His hands settled on her hips, crushing her to him, claws disappearing as the beast was satisfied he'd found her again.

When he pulled back and looked down at her, her lips were swollen, eyes dark and hazy. Her head tilted, eyes clearing as they searched his face. He wasn't sure what they would find, but that was all right. He knew now.

"Why?" she asked softly, her fingers biting into his upper arms.

"I ain't letting you run, Marie. You're mine," he said, growling the last word before his head dipped, taking control of her mouth again. Strangely, he didn't feel any tug of her mutation trying to steal his. He shifted her, raising her on the hood of the car, his hands sliding under her shirt. Claws burst forth, shredding the material from her body. She moaned, her fingers digging into his hair.

Two hours later, laying in his bed with Marie snuggled close against his side, Logan thanked whatever god there was for the miracle he'd just realized and hadn't let slip away.


End file.
